The ride to Chuncheon was silent, and by the time they were nearly there Siwon was out cold with his head on Kibum’s shoulder, and Sunhee was in a similar state directly across from the pair, her head cushioned on her father’s knee.

          Both Hangeng and Kibum stared blankly out the window, the older of the two trying to devise a plan of action, while the other simply had nothing better to do than watch the scenery speed by.

          Hangeng knew that locating the complex itself would pose no real difficulty, however, locating Kyuhyun’s individual unit amongst the hundreds of other’s that made up one of the most expensive buildings in the city, would. It’s not like they could just go knocking door to door and hope the maknae would answer. They didn’t have time for that.

          The front desk wasn’t an option, since he knew that they obviously couldn’t just ask the clerk if a specific tenant lived there, and what unit he lived in without a valid reason, plus it was getting late, chances are there wouldn’t be anyone there anyways. They definitely couldn’t access security cameras either, for obvious reasons.

          They couldn’t track his movements, unfortunately, since they didn’t have a visual on him, and it’s not like they could….

          Hangeng paused, his gaze shifting to Siwon, who looked as though he could begin drooling all over his lover at any moment, pondering.

          Kibum could see that the other’s attention had shifted out of the corner of his eye, and he turned a bit to meet the older’s gaze.

          “How good is his sense of smell?” Hangeng questioned, voice lowered.

          “…I don’t know. What the hell kind of question is that?”

          “You really don’t? Like, do you think he would be able to find a person…if we needed him too?”

          Kibum thought for a moment, not so much considering the question, but wondering just why he would want to know such a thing…until something clicked. “No. You better not be considering using my boyfriend as some kind of blood hound.” He reached a hand out to rest it gently atop Siwon’s thigh, a protective gesture that accidently brought the older from his deep sleep.

          Siwon jerked a bit, gaze searching frantically for danger until he found none, and then stretched, and yawned. “Are we almost there?”

          Kibum nodded in response, but Hangeng continued on as though the younger were still unconscious.

          “Of course I am!” He defended “that may be our only option.”

          “What? What might be our only option?” Siwon questioned, gaze moving from his lover to the eldest in their group, and back.

          “I have a plan.” Hangeng smiled.

          “And you aren’t going to like it.” Kibum grumbled, throwing Siwon an apologetic look.

          That was how they ended up spending the remainder of their cash on a large dog collar and leash, before dragging Siwon into an alley and forcing him to shift.

          They emerged with what could possibly be considered the most frightening dog anyone had ever seen, as large as a Saint Bernard, but identical in appearance to a wolf….because that was exactly what he was.

          “How the hell do you expect this to work?” Kibum questioned incredulously, “Have you ever seen a dog that looks like this?”

          “Sure!” Hangeng argued “If anyone asks we can say he’s a tamaskan. My cousin used to have one. They’re bred to look like wolves.”

          “I doubt they’re ever this big.” The youngest argued, and Hangeng shrugged.

          “Your right, they’re not, but it’s not like anyone’s really going to know that.”

          “Yah, they’ll all be too busy running away screaming about a wild animal.” Kibum grumbled as they emerged from the alley.

          “The complex is right around the corner up there.” Hangeng explained, choosing to ignore his friends comment and attempting to hand the leash over to him so he could carry his exhausted daughter instead.

          “I’m not taking that.” Kibum stubbornly rejected.

          “Why not?”

          “Because, I don’t want to…walk my boyfriend.” He forced out, the words feeling foreign on his tongue.

          “Just pretend he’s a normal dog!”

          ‘I am not a dog!’ Siwon’s voice echoed in their minds as he whipped his head around to glare at them, his teeth bared in an audible snarl.

          “Fine, fine.” Hangeng conceded “Then carry her.”

          Kibum sighed, but bent down to scoop Sunhee up in his arms so they could continue on their way to Kyuhyun.

          “Alright,” Hangeng smiled. “Mush.”

          And Siwon growled, jerking forward quickly enough to have Hangeng stumbling along behind him. He stopped abruptly, the older nearly tripping over him before he regained his footing, the action causing his daughter to fall into a fit of laughter.

          “Good boy.” Kibum cooed, scratching the large canine behind his ears as he passed in front of him.

          ‘That’s it, I’m changing back. We can find another way to do this.’ Siwon grumbled, rearing up a bit, like he was preparing to shift again.

          Kibum stopped him with a frantic hand on his neck. “You can’t do it right here!”

          ‘And why is that?’

          “Be-because…” and the youngest blushed as he leaned down to whisper something in his lover’s ear that neither Hangeng nor his daughter could quite catch.

          The wolfs ears quirked, his head cocking a bit to the side, as if considering something, before he huffed ‘Fine’ and proceeded to lead the way instead.

          They stopped only a few minutes later as they neared the front entrance.

          “I don’t think we can just go waltzing inside.” Kibum informed, eying the doorman that was essentially, to them anyways, guarding the entrance. “They probably don’t just let anyone in, especially with him.” He motioned to Siwon.

          “What about a garage? They must have one.” Hangeng suggested, and the youngest nodded, shifting Sunhee’s weight to his other arm before they began walking again.

          Nearly another block away, and around a corner they found just what they were looking for; two passcode operated garage doors. They only had to wait about five minutes for a car to exit the building, and once the coast was clear, they dashed inside just before it could close and lock them out again.

          They stood, unmoving near the entrance to the underground lot for a few moments as Hangeng contemplated what to do next, but before he could come up with a plan, Siwon whined and then shot forward, dragging the eldest along with him and forcing Kibum to jog to keep up with Sunhee weighing him down.

          The canine led them all the way to the other end of the lot, before stopping just short of an Audi A7. He growled as he paced in front of it. ‘His scent is all over it.’

          “It’s a rental, too.” Kibum informed them, pointing to the logo on the license plate.

          “Alright, then he’s definitely here.” Hangeng concluded. “Do you know where he went next?”

          ‘Of course’ Siwon sighed, sounding just a bit offended, before he lowered his head to sniff tentatively at the ground. ‘This way’

          He led them forward, winding through a few cars before they ended up back on the clear pathway, and headed straight for the elevators that sat in the center of the large space. He stopped at the one on the left, tail wagging, and Hangeng pushed the button.

          Once inside, they reached another wall in their investigation.

          “Will you be able to tell which floor he got off on?” Hangeng asked the younger, who skidded a bit in surprise as the elevator began moving up, his eyes wide with fear.

          Kibum placed his free hand on the back of the wolf’s neck to calm him so he could speak.

          ‘N-no…’ he stuttered at first, before regaining his composure. “I can only smell what he came directly in contact with, like the floor, or the walls, not the air he passed through.”

          “Great. So does that mean we have to stop on every floor until we find the one he left on?” Kibum groaned.

          “If you think about it, it’s not that bad…plus, we know that his specific condo is expensive. It’s probably on the top floor, or on one of the few below it.” The eldest explained as he pressed the buttons to the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth floor.

          They had no luck on the first one, but on the sixteenth, Siwon bounded out of the elevator and took a sharp left. He didn’t stop until they had reached the very end of the hall, pawing and whining at the carpet before the door located there.

          ‘Here! He’s in here.’ Siwon announced, stepping back  and sitting so the others could get by him.

          Hangeng took a deep break before knocking tentatively on the wood before him, praying Kyuhyun was inside so they could just be done for the day. They were all exhausted, and he knew his daughter was close to tears from her combined hunger and lack of sleep.

          They held their breaths as the lock finally clicked and the door was pulled slowly open, revealing their friend dressed only in his boxers, his hair mussed as if he’d been sleeping.

          “What the hell are you guys doing here!?”

          ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

          ‘Babe, were not going to make it back this time. I have Sunhee, she’s fine, and you know I’d risk my life to make sure she stays that way. I tried to send her back with Eunhyuk, but she got away.’ Hangeng’s voice chuckled. ‘I know you probably hate me, so I’m so sorry all of this happened, and I love you, so much. I just couldn’t leave without Kyu, he messed up, sort of, and he deserves a second chance. I’m sorry.’

          There was a small rustling and Hangeng’s voice could still be faintly heard, but another was more prominent.

          ‘Tell Eomma you love him.’

          ‘I love you.’ Sunhee said. as instructed.

          ‘And that you miss him.’

          ‘I’ll miss you’

          ‘I’m really sorry.’ Hangeng began again ‘Tell Kyungil I love him. I’ll see you soon alright?’

          The message ended with a faint click, and Heechul just stood frozen in the middle of the hallway, his mind slowly comprehending what he had just heard.

          When it finally did, his gaze narrowed on Eunhyuk, who stood half hidden behind Donghae, his wrists beginning to glow. “What the hell did you let him do?!” he demanded, taking a small step forward.

          “What he wanted! What you wanted!” Eunhyuk defended “Plus, what was I supposed to do!? Knock him out and drag him back?”

          “Yes! Too bad you were too big of an imbecile to figure that out back then!”

          “Heechul…” Donghae warned, ready to defend his lover if necessary.

          “Stay out of this!” He growled, turning to the youngest before refocusing back on Eunhyuk. “Because of you, my husband and my daughter are trapped away from me for a whole month!”

          “This isn’t my fault! He wanted to stay and help Kyuhyun!”

          “And you didn’t? What a great friend you are.” The eldest sneered.

          “That’s enough!” Donghae intervened. He’d heard enough “That isn’t fair. He had to come back to be with me, if you want someone to blame, then be angry with me. They want to help Kyuhyun, just like you, because of what Sungmin did. You should empathize with that, not be angry. I’m sorry you don’t have Hangeng, and I know it’s tough, but it’s only a month. Focus on taking care of Kyungil now.”

          Heechul’s resolved softened a bit as the younger spoke. He knew he was being irrational, but he’d never gone so long without having Hangeng with him, and he had no idea how to explain their absence to Kyungil, though, in the end he’d probably be more jealous than upset. “Alright… sorry…” Heechul mumbled.

          Eunhyuk nodded, and handed the older the phone. “In case you need it.”

          Heechul took it, mentally promising himself that he wouldn’t replay the message a million times just to hear his husband and daughter’s voices…though, in reality he knew he probably would.

          Donghae smiled, about to voice that they should all get some sleep, when a small, uncomfortable ache arose in his belly. His hand flew to his stomach, his back bending a bit, which had Eunhyuk practically flying to his side.

          “What is it? What’s wrong?” his lover asked, alarmed, and Heechul stepped forward as well to make sure he was ok

          Donghae didn’t answer right away, his eyes wide with fear as his blood ran cold. He felt the ache again, and resisted the urge to cry, his teeth gritting slightly. The first time he hadn’t been sure, but now he was. He’d experience the same pain before; and once again, it was too early.

          “I-…I think I just had a contraction.” He forced out.

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